Charred Memories
by losthorizon17
Summary: The had been best friends when they were younger until the fateful day one of them had to move. Now well over a decade of distance, they run into each other in the most unlikely of places. A fire.
1. Chapter 1

Castiel was quickly coming accustomed to his new job title, having been offered an opportunity to teach in a university up in South Dakota Castiel jumped at the chance. His students were very friendly and equally eager to learn, castiel had learnt very quickly that their last ancient history teacher had been an offensive drunk that lazed at his desk all day instead of teaching his students, he had eventually been arrested with ruff housing one of his students and was relieved of his teaching duties.

Well things had defiantly started improving since Castiel had taken over or so the universities positive reviews had stated.

Castiel had moved into a small unimposing 1 bedroomed house of which he shared with his ginger tabby Meg, though she was not the nicest of company she was someone to come home to.

Castiel's week had been tiring, his pupils had started a new topic that they were having trouble understanding so Castiel had spent many of his nights in front of his laptop with a microwaved meal re-reading his presentations to make his new topic easier for them to understand. By the end of the week he had run low on supplies and needed to take a trip to the supermarket to restock his shelves.

The trip to the store was uneventful to say the least traffic had been fairly light unlike the usual rush hour traffic the bogged the streets a late Friday afternoon with everyone rushing home to start the weekend.

Castiel had been methodical in his choice of groceries, making sure to grab his essentials and some food for his little tabby.

As he turned to the next isle he saw a flash of plaid and golden brown hair flash past him as they ran into the opposite isle. He smiled as the sight reminded him of his earlier high school years hanging out with his best friend Dean and their little gang of misfits grabbing as much junk food as they could on their Friday afternoons before heading to the Winchesters house hold for their annual movie marathon.

It was a bitter sweet memory really, as a year and a half later his father was transferred to another branch in his company and they had to move house, he had wanted to stay with all his might but ultimately the choice was made for him. The gang promised to stay in touch and dean had promised they would always be friends but within 8 months and tones of unopened messages he rarely heard from his old group of friends anymore. He sighed shaking his head at the memory more than ten years had passed though he still wondered what happened to the old gang, what they were doing now.

After pondering this for a moment his went back to the task at hand, buying his weekly shop.

_It was a regular Monday for Dean, he got up, got dressed and when the drill sounded he helped put out fires and save people from flaming infernos. Yet he still had a sense of dread fill him when they got the call that the local university was on fire._

_The team flew into action and were quickly on route for the university building, upon arriving at the scene they noted the fire was quickly spreading throughout the building, flames licking out from the right side. Students littered the grounds some ringing for their parents and others in complete tears, the teachers were surveying the students making sure they had an accurate attendance. _

_Captain Turner, had just finished giving out orders of what needed to be done to get this fire under control when a frantic red head rushed into their vision. _

_"__Please you've got to get them out please!" she cried voice breaking in places as she trembled with fear._

_"__Who? Who's inside?" Dean question the girl._

_"__Some of my cla-classmates and my history teacher please, we were in a lecture when the alarm went off. I don't think they made it out in time and I can't see them anywhere" she pleaded looking at the team with wide terrified eyes. _

_Dean had seen that look to many times to even count, yet each time he saw it, it would give him the same urge to get the job done, save every life the remorseless flames had on the line. _

_"__You heard the girl" Captain Turner barked "we have a couple of students and a history professor to look for. Dean you take your guys inside get those people out of there and boys stay safe" he added giving the boys a final nod of dismissal._

_With that the men sprang into action racing towards the blazing building, retching the doors open the team bounded towards the direction of the blaze, dean noted by his surroundings they were headed in the direction of the history department and ordered the men to keep an eye out for their victims._

_The corridors were thick with impenetrable black smoke even with masks on you could feel the dry vapour rush across your skin sticking to your pores like tar, breathing in the toxic smoke would cause some damage but not nearly as bad if you touched the blistering flames climbing the walls._

_Classroom doors sat ajar and vacant as the tread further into the black abyss, in the distance the sound of scuffling could be heard. Their torches shone around the area trying to catch a glimpse of movement. _

_A girl was rested against the far walls her friends desperately trying to get her up to no avail. Three of his team mates rushed over, carrying the exhausted female and escorting her friends along the corridors. Pupils taken care of, now for the matter of finding the history teacher. _

_The guys looked toward him as if asking permission to get the pupils out of there, he nodded "I got the history teach, just get them out of here" he called the sound slightly muted by his mask._

_Dean carried on down the hallway towards the thickest source of smoke, flames licked out from each direction, no escaping their wrath. Where was this teacher, he thought frantically just as he caught a glance of an ashen hand laid out from an evacuated classroom door. _

_Running toward the classroom door he found the professor he was collapsed on his side and unconscious. His face was covered by a thick layer of dark ash, yet it was oddly familiar like seeing a flash from the past. He knew this man, if the lighting had been better maybe the connection would have clicked instantly but for now he was on bided time, he needed to get them out of the building as of now. _

_Snapping out of his trace he took a quick survey of the mysterious man to check for injuries before lifting him up bridal style and rushing towards the exit. _

_Teams of medical personnel meet them as he descended the stairs, quickly relieving him of the man and rushing his stretcher to the awaiting ambulance. _

_A strange sense of Deja vu wash over him as he made his way over to his crew to lend his assistance in simmering down the fire. Who was this guy? Why did worry flood through his veins not knowing the man's upcoming fate, if only he had got a better glance at his face maybe his questions would be answered. _


	2. Chapter 2

The sounds of a monitor striking out a constant tempo were the first to great him, the second was the pain. Slowly his eyes began to flutter shifting restlessly, working to open themselves to swallow up his surroundings and gather his bearings. Wherever he was he honestly didn't care, his chest ached as he shifted into consciousness and his breath drew in short gasps. Castiel tried to gather in as much oxygen as his lungs would hold, battling against it as each breath made his chest feel tighter and grow more irritated.

His voice carried out a strong rumble even over the crowd of socializing students. "Good morning class, today we are going to do paired work, now I know yo-" he broke off into a quiet laugh as his class irrupted into growing number of whispers and fist bumps.

"Yes class this does mean you get to work with a partner of your choice" he answered the question on the mind of every student with a raised hands, well at least they certainly took to his announcement with great interest.

Castiel quirked an eyebrow at his now distracted class, well if they were this excited to discuss their project, he was expecting some very intriguing presentations handed in.

"I know you are all excited but please do settle down and let me actually explain what you will be working on in your groups" castiel uttered to the class who were still in active conversation.

Some students had managed to right themselves in their seats and were waiting expectantly for him to continue further but he wouldn't.

Not just yet.

Clearing his throat castiel leaned against the edge of his desk and rolled up his shirt sleeves waiting for everyone to be silent before he continued. He really didn't want to have to spend a better part of the lesson re-explaining the project brief to his students.

After and active minute the class eventually settled down some, so castiel began to explain their group project they were to turn in at the end of the week.

Thirty minutes into the lesson was all it took; that's where it all went wrong.

The students were really stuck into their project, working together in an 'almost' calm manner to gather and summarise their overall plans for their work.

Castiel was crouched at the desk of two of his brightest students; Kevin Tran and Anna Milton. He was tirelessly trying to stop the constant bickering between the pair, when the shrill alarm rang out over the college campus.

The seconds that followed seemed to move even slower than before as the sudden intrusion had grabbed the attention of every person in the perimeter.

In an active flurry students were trying to catch a glimpse of flames. Wanting to find out whether this was just a routine fire drill or the real thing.

Castiel was fully alerted of his responsibility to his student's lives when he saw the thick impenetrable smoke creep in through the gap of his class room's door.

"Everyone out now!" he yelled.

The memory was vivid. It twisted and warped around him, pushing him into the darkest depths of his fear…his memory.

Breathing rapidly he cracked open his eyes, standing by his bedside was a nurse. She was a pretty blond, petite and wore a kind smile that stretched across her face.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Mr Novak, my name's jess and I'm a nurse here at Garrison Hospital. Im afraid you hit your head pretty hard during the event of the fire on the university's campus" she informed him as she took note of his medical records.

"Lucky for you though, a very handsome fireman came to your rescue." She grinned setting the documents aside.

He was rescued, saved by a mysterious and an apparently very handsome fireman and though he could not remember much of the event that occurred after his black out he had managed to remember something.

A colour.

Green.

"He's here you know" she announced, pulling him from his memory.

"Of course we haven't revealed any of your information. That's confidential; but he wanted to see you. Make sure you were ok."

"I can always tell him to go if you don't wish to see him Mr Novak" she added looking wistfully towards the door.

Meet him?

Yes, what harm could come from meeting the man who saved his life, he owes the man his thanks. His gratitude.

Plus he thought to himself, 'green' where did it feature on the man did it even exist of had he just imagined it in his knocked out state.

Nodding in agreement, Castiel watched as the nurse… Jess left his hospital room in search of the man.

There was no way he could ever thank the fireman enough for what he did, risking his life to save another.

Eventually the knock came, Castiel settled himself back against the hospital bed, trying not to fidget.

"Come in" he called out.

The door handle turned slowly, almost as if the man behind it was scared to reveal himself.

Watching intently castiel saw the man immerge and come into focus. He was…. He was

"Dean?"


	3. Chapter 3

Their sleepovers were the best by far.

As soon as they finished kindergarten on a Friday afternoon Mary would pick them up and bring them back to the Winchesters. Castiel's parents didn't mind, it gave them a chance to go out for much needed dates whilst their eldest children didn't need a babysitter.

John worked late into the evenings so he would only really wish them good night and kiss their foreheads as they snuggled in under deans duvet covers.

Tonight they were playing superheroes, dean wore his makeshift batman cape while castiel wore his favourite checked shirt of deans around his neck while they ran back and forth down the hallway stopping all the bad guys standing in their path.

Once the upstairs was clear of villains the pair decided to search the rest Winchester house for more.

"Common cas! The bad guys will get away" dean shouted excitedly, tugging on castiel's arm to lead him down the stairs.

Bounding rather loud and disgracefully down the stairs, they spotted little baby Sammy sitting up in his playpen.

"Quick dean they gunna get sam!" castiel shouted pointing towards deans baby brother, who always watched them with rapid interest as they played.

"Sammy no!" dean yelled with childish excitement he bound off across the room, castiel not far behind him.

Together they battled the villains who were trying to get into Sam's playpen, shooting beams of light and fireballs out of their hands, of course they succeeded.

Celebrating their victory with a legendary high five, the boys couldn't help but notice the strange orange glow that illuminated in through the living room window.

"What's that dean?" castiel asked fiddling with the sleeves of dean's shirt/ make shift cape.

"I don't know, let's check it out cas" dean said climbing up onto the sofa and stretching out his hand for castiel to grab, helping him up with ease.

Together they looked out of the large glass window, faces pressed close to the glass. The sight they saw was both confusing and frightening at the same time.

"That's a …." Castiel started in shock eyes widening as he looked toward his friend.

"Fire!" Dean finished in a shouted panic.

After being taught fire safety in class, dean knew just how dangerous it could be if a fire was not dealt with so with great urgency he leapt from the couch to go find his mum. She would know what to do.

He quickly found her in the laundry room folding a pile of newly washed clothing.

"Mama, theirs a…. a "he said struggling for breath; after his round of spirited playing and his mad dash to find his mother in order to get help.

Mary saw her son's obvious distress so she set the t-shirt currently in her hands on top of the dryer in order to see what was bothering her eldest son.

"Dean, honey slow down what's wrong?" she asked crouching down and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Willing him to calm down enough to tell her what was troubling him.

"A … f-fire mama" he breathed as he let out a gust of air from his lungs.

"What?!" she asked suddenly panicked, looking towards the room her son had just appeared from she couldn't not make out any smoke, there were no flames.

"Where?" she asked.

"cross the street…. house is on fire, the flames are soooo big mama" he answered looking up to his mother with worry stricken eyes no five year old should ever have.

Mary sprang into action immediately, holstering dean up on to her hip and holding him close she ran to the kitchen to grab the hand set kept nearby.

Standing in front of the large and open windows that lined the front of her home she called 911 and asked for the fire service and quick.

Throughout the ordeal she kept an eye on the children. Making sure they were ok and that they were not frightened by the current situation in anyway. They were safe.

Sammy had thankfully fell into a deep nap in between all the chaos, so she stood at the windows with a rather fascinated dean and timid castiel. Looking down at the boys she ran her hand sweetly through their short locks in a comforting way as they watched the firemen and women go about their job.

Mary wished she could have helped in anyway, even just minorly but she couldn't, she had a house full of boys that needed her to protect them from those dangers.

After a long and terrifying hour, the fire was gone. Vanquished. Mary decided to put the boys to bed early tonight they had been through a lot and nights rest was surely needed. After being bathed and dressed the boys were soon ready for bed, Mary lovingly tucking them in under deans batman bed covers.

Mary left the room with a gentle kiss to their foreheads and the wish of 'sweet dreams darlings'.

After lying in the darkness for quite some time dean decided he wanted to tell cas something that was on him mind.

Rolling over he found castiel with his eyes closed.

"cas" he whispered into the darkness of the bedroom "are you awake?" he didn't want to be too loud in case he really was asleep but wanted to know either way.

He was soon met with a quick answer as castiel opened his eyes and turned towards him. "Yes dean"

"Were you scared of the fire cas?" dean asked curiously.

"A little… weren't you?" castiel questioned looking into his friends wide green eyes.

"Course I was … but can I tell you a secret cas" dean said hesitantly.

"Of course" came the blue eyed boy's hushed reply.

"I wanna be a firefighter when I grow up"

"I can't believe it's you" castiel exclaimed in awe.

"Cas…. Shit is that really you?" came dean's stunned reply.

His parents were constantly arguing all the time and it was starting to worry castiel that they would end up getting a divorce.

High school was stressful enough on its own without the need for added drama at home as well.

This often led to castiel struggling to cope, considering him being the only one out of his siblings still living with his parents.

It was lonely.

So most of the time castiel always found himself over at the Winchesters chilling out in his best friend dean's childhood bedroom listening to music and on occasion passing a bottle of Mr Winchester's whisky back and forth between them.

Today was one of those days. Castiel had returned home from school to find his parents tearing at one and others' throats. Again. They hadn't even realised he had come home let alone up and left again. He turned up at the Winchesters door, dean didn't even question it just lead the way up to his bedroom so he could look after his best friend.

It was an hour or so before they pulled out the liquor, the whisky burned their throats but the lightened feeling that came after was what they were looking for. Dean's parents were out on a date and sam was staying at a friend's house so they had the house to their selves. They wouldn't get caught.

Rock music filtered out from dean's room, the bottle, half empty sat between the pair as they both belted out the lyrics to the current song out of tune and obnoxiously loud. Laughing and grinning at each other whenever they forgot a verse.

As the evening progressed and the booze was passed freely between the pair they gradually managed to drift closer together. Looking dopily into each other's eyes, laughing and enjoying one and others company.

Cas was feeling great, hanging out with dean; away from his parents who were causing such destruction in his life, he just wanted to forget his parent's problems…. His own problems for the evening. Just for once.

He plucked the bottle from deans loosely held grasp, taking a hefty swig, then another… and another.

"Hey don't hog it all asshat, give it back!" dean bellowed voice higher and louder in his inebriated state.

"Make me" castiel countered, voice muffled around the lip of the bottle.

"Oh don't be like that c-cas" dean hiccupped reaching across cas's warm body to reach for the bottle. Which failed miserably when castiel moved the bottle out of his grasp, his body colliding into castiel side with a soft grunt.

The both stared wide eyed at each other neither breaking the contact in that moment.

Castiel sucked in a shaky breath, wetting his lips on reflex.

Dean's eyes tracked the movement, his mouth going dry as he continued to stare hypnotised. Flicking his eyes upwards he was met with the wide vibrant eyes of his best friend, he looked just as lost as dean felt.

He saw those eye's travel south, down toward his mouth.

They both leaned into to each other's space, drawn by some unknown force towards each other. The bottle soon forgotten by the pair. Ultimately causing it to come tumbling to the ground from within castiel loose grip.

They both jumped apart. Now suddenly alert.

Dean grabbed the bottle from the now soggy carpet, as castiel checked his phone. Shit 11 o'clock. 9 missed calls.

"I've got to go" was all he said as he grabbed his coat and fled the house.

Dean's week had been shit, his football team had lost their annual match against Hell saint's high, those slimy bastards.

He failed his algebra test and had to resist it again and to top it off castiel had ignored him. Gone a whole week, without even one word not since he fled dean's room in a shame, after they…. after they nearly kissed.

During lunch period dean decided to take a walk around campus clear his head a little before his next class, that when he saw him.

Sitting on a bench near the parking lot, all by himself. Nose in a history book as always, lunch forgotten by his side.

This was it this was his chance, to confront him.

Ask his what his damn problem was.

Why the hell he had avoided his friends for the whole week, even that one drew in everyone's attention, Charlie Jo and Benny constantly asking him where cas was. What had happened between the pair.

Furiously striding towards his friend, a weeks' worth of anger fuelling his every movement.

"The hells your problem Novak!" he demanded stopping promptly in front of his friend, the tips of their shoes making contact at the distance. "You can't just ignore me… your friends for a week without even an explanation, what is it… what have I done?!" he commanded voice raising as he crossed his arms in font of himself, eyes trained on his friends now sheepish face.

"Dean-"castiel started.

"Cas what was it? Was it that night? Do you hate me that much, im sorry we were drunk for Christ sakes!" he yelled voice drawing in attention from the lunch time crowd.

Castiel stayed silent, staring at deans shoes refusing to make eye contact.

"You know what screw you cas, I can't believe you – you of all people could be that shallow-"dean scoffed turning his back ready to leave. Storm inside, to scream for all he cared as long as he could get his anger out in some way.

"I'm moving!" castiel yelled voice like thunder.

"I'm moving" he sighed voice breaking ever so slightly as he rose to his feet, finally meeting the eyes of his friend.

It was sudden the move, one week he was fine; going day by day through school, today he was moving, away from everything he'd ever loved. Who he'd ever loved.

The last box was waiting to be piled into the van, he stood in his old room; now an empty hollow shell of what it used to be.

He'd already said goodbye to his friends. The last day of school had been tough practically heart-breaking for all that he hated the place.

It wasn't goodbye.

Never good bye, he would see them again.

Taking a slow walk down the stairs, he walked out of the door for the last time.

A hand gripped him by the elbow, dragging him off to the side. Dean.

They had spent every last moment they had with each other over of the course of castiel's last week. Of course he would show up today to say his final goodbye.

"Dean what are you doing" castiel laughed, practically forced out of him as he was dragged around to the side of his garage.

"I just wanted to say goodbye" dean smiled, eyes a little teary as they bore into castiel's own.

"I still can't believe this is happening, that I won't see your dorky little f-face every d-day" dean chocked unshed tears threating to fall down his cheeks.

Castiel dropped his box to the ground and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. Breath stuttering as he tried to keep control on his emotions, this wouldn't be the end. They would see each other again. They held each other for a long time, each huffing out painful breaths against each other's necks.

When they eventually parted they laughed slightly taking in the state of each other.

"This isn't the end you know" castiel smiled tearfully.

"Course it's not ... im gunna be hounding your ass with texts till you get sick of me" dean laughed gripping his shoulder tightly.

"That's a promise I expect you to stick to Winchester" castiel warned half-heartedly in a non-threatening manner, as he bent down to collect the last of his belongings.

Dean's arm finally slipping from his shoulder.


End file.
